New Castle – Gold Star Families of Delaware, in conjunction with the Hershel “Woody” Williams Medal of Honor Foundation, announced plans for a new Gold Star Families Memorial Monument to be located at the Delaware River and Bay Authority’s Veterans Memorial Park in New Castle, Delaware. The local committee, co-chaired by Judy Campbell and Valerie Huot, are focused on raising $45,000 to fund the project. The anticipated target date for completion is September 25, 2018.
“We as a country owe a debt of gratitude to those who served and those that sacrificed their lives so we may live in freedom,” said Judy C. Campbell. “We should not forget, but remember what they stood for. By preserving the memory of the sacrifice we honor them. Sacrifice is meaningless without remembrance. The Gold Star Families Memorial will serve as a reminder of the loss our Gold Star Families live with on a daily basis.”
The Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA) has agreed to set aside land in Veterans Memorial Park adjacent to the Delaware Memorial Bridge and install related infrastructure for the project. Once the Gold Star Families Memorial Monument is dedicated, DRBA has also agreed to maintain the memorial and its landscaping.
“Nearly 15,000 names of military personnel killed in the line of duty during World War II and the Korean War from New Jersey and Delaware fill the Walls at Veterans Memorial Park,” said Thomas J. Cook, Executive Director for the DRBA. “Over the years, additional memorials, monuments and statues were erected to pay tribute to our country’s finest and incorporated into the park gardens. Many of these projects were independently funded. We plan to work closely with the Gold Star Families of Delaware and the Hershel “Woody” Williams Medal of Honor Foundation to complete this special memorial.”
The Gold Star Families Memorial is a stunning black granite monument featuring two sides. One side bears the words: Gold Star Families Memorial Monument, a tribute to Gold Star Mothers, Fathers, and Families who have sacrificed a Loved One for our Freedom. The other side tells a story through the four granite panels: Homeland, Family, Patriot, and Sacrifice. The scenes on each panel are a reflection of each community’s Gold Star Families and their fallen Heroes. At the center of this tribute is the most distinct feature of the monument, a saluting silhouette which represents the Loved One who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the name of Freedom.
The Gold Star Family Memorial Monument was created by Medal of Honor Recipient Hershel “Woody” Williams to remember those families who have made the ultimate sacrifice. To aid the Gold Star Families of Delaware with this project, please visit http://hwwmohf.org/wilmington-de.html to contribute your tax-deductible donation.
Source: DBRA
Image Credits: DRBA